The Song of Candria and Legolas
by Limliae
Summary: Complete. And oh boy, is it ever a flaming Sue. I guess to give you all fair warnings: there is angst, there is mush, there is gush, there is Sueism, Legomance, and A/U out the ya-hoo. Read ahead if you enjoy such stories. I shan't stop you. :o)
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: yadda yadda blah… so it is obvious I am not Tolkien~ it is obvious however, that I am too tired to write a significant disclaimer…but please enjoy the story. In case it looks familiar I released it a while ago but in an unmanageable chunk that no one really wanted to read, so I am changing the format to make it more enjoyable for my readers.

Part I ~ The Song of Candria and Legolas

Chapter One  
  
Midsummer's Eve came with a rolling warm wind from the south. All the air seemed to glow with the light pollen of the mellyrn trees, sunlight mixing in the floating specks of gold. There was a peace in the land of Lorien, a quiet stillness that was slightly shaken by even the smallest sigh. Time had slowed as Arien reined her vessel of fire to a wistful stroll across her sea of blue. The elves in that time did not busy themselves with anything, save wondering at the beauty of the land. Those among them gifted in the art of music wrote many lusty ballads to remember that blessed summer, for the shadows were arising yet again in the north, and when evil would come, wreathed in his mantle of destruction, the wisest of the elves could say not.  
  
It had been in the land of Lorien, since the coming of Galadriel and Celeborn, that those who dared enter with evil hearts were quickly brought to death by the sentinels and magic of their realm. The archers of that wood were lithe and could pass easily from shadow to branch, hardly disturbing the slumber of the leaves upon the ground. Among the great hunters, none were as powerful, nor as greatly feared, as Candria. Her bow was made of the ebony flesh of the Lebethron tree, which grew only in the land of Gondor. It was strung with the heartstring of a dragon, braided with the tail hairs of her beloved horse, Moreaui. Of her lineage, none knew but Galadriel, and to keep her happiness, the Lady of the Light did not betray her parentage to anyone. There had only been one law placed upon Candria that all were commanded to obey- that no being, elf or man, should ever touch her hands directly. Candria did not ask the meaning of this law, and no elf, out of respect for Galadriel and fear of Candria, ever challenged it. Candria simply wore elbow-length gloves of supple leather everywhere she went, never daring to remove them save in her private chambers.  
  
Galadriel knew that Candria was the child of Luthien of the house of Elu Thingol and Queen Melian, and Orome of the Valar, kept in secret and given unto Celeborn and Galadriel's care. Candria, the Half-Valar wielded power too great for even Galadriel to comprehend, but Candria content in her happiness of being a simple elf-maiden was spared the truth of her magnificent parentage. Galadriel knew that the time was approaching when Candria's past would be revealed unto all, but that time was yet still far off and Galadriel was glad to delay the burden of responsibility and truth.  
  
Candria had always known that there was something very different flowing in her veins than in her elfin counterparts. The laws of Galadriel and Celeborn were the first in a long series of happenstances that frightened Candria and yet enthralled her. Even with her gloves covering her skin, she found that the brush of her smallest finger brought unnatural power over whomever or whatever she touched. This power feared Galadriel the most, for Candria's Valar father and Half-Valar mother had passed unto her powers that the elf-queen could not understand. Candria was also gifted with sight and hearing that not even the finest of the Eldar elf- lords had possessed. Her hunting skills were unsurpassed, and her skill upon horseback none of the elves could rival. Her presence was not enchanting, like that of her mother, but rather an aura of awareness. All those who approached her were filled with wonderment, and for fleeting moments, shared her clear minded sight.  
  
For all of her skills she was not of great beauty. Her hair was not that of the Lorien elves. Instead of the cascades of golden tresses her kinsman shared, she alone had mahogany locks that traced their way down her back in spindly loops and loose curls. Her face was not fair and bright, but rather earthen and ruddy. Her eyes were a striking blue, almost a clear white, but with a wisp of the sky set in the middle that gave them an eerie glow. Her small chin downplayed her slightly curved lips, which perched on her face like two strokes of a painter's brush. About her neck she wore the only gift of her mother's, a small jewel, wreathed in a crown of silver and bearing a dancing flame in its center.  
  
The day had passed with the slow setting of the sun, quickly followed by Tiliron and his ever-rising chariot, the moon. Candria sat alone in one of the great mellyrn trees, wondering if Tiliron would ever find contentment in the night sky. The love of Tiliron for Arien had always been Candria's favorite childhood love story. She imagined Tiliron, pining for his lover that he could never touch, always able to see her, but never approach her; drawn onwards by the need of his soul to be always in her light. Candria wondered if Arien loved Tiliron as well, or if her desire to rebuke him was the parent of her fiery mantle that prevented his advances.  
  
As Tiliron drove his vessel towards the light of Arien, Candria mused that love as his was everlasting, immortal love running from age to age. She had never desired love; it was an emotion that was not indigenous to her heart. There was no room for love in the realms of her thoughts; the only love she felt was for Arda, the land. While she hummed to herself the song of Arien, she heard far off the soft tread of feet upon the forest ground.  
  



	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Silently Candria slipped from branch to branch in the great tree, until she lay upon a bough that leaned outward toward the paths of Lorien. The light of the moon was shining brilliantly behind her, hiding her shadow and pouring light onto the road ahead. The footsteps stopped suddenly and Candria could hear the light breathing of an elf, for no man nor dwarf could move so stealthily amongst the trees as this being. She strung her bow and pulled it taut, waiting for the smallest sound to betray the presence of the intruder. There was one lithe footstep and her bow silently dealt an arrow, cutting the warm air with an icy silver tip that never missed its mark.  
  
Had her intent been to kill, the recipient of the arrow would now have been permanently silenced; instead, Candria heard the all-too familiar sound of a bow being strung with an arrow.  
  
"Don't be so foolish." Her low commanding voice echoed in the silence of the forest. The elf she had frightened was now silent, failing to conceal their quick breathing from Candria's ears. "If I had wanted to kill you elf, I would have already done so. I know you cannot see me, for my sight pierces more than this night. I can see you standing next to that tree, your hair caught by my arrow." At that Candria dropped from her perch, slowly advancing on the elf-man she could see now standing defiantly next to the tree she had pinned him to.  
  
As she approached he called out in the clear language of her people:  
  
"I am a messenger for the Sindarian elves of Greenwood. I have come to hold counsel with the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn, my coming brings no harm into your wood." He let his bow fall from his hand onto the earthen floor and his arms rested unthreateningly at his side.  
  
"You are far wiser then the yrch living near this wood, for they know not the peril they assign themselves wandering into the realm of Lady Galadriel. Because you bring no danger into Lorien, we welcome you, my kinsman." She stepped out of the shadow and pulled her arrow out from the flesh of the tree and out of the fair elf's hair. He bowed low to her and declared himself to be Haluin, son of Valui of the court of King Thranduil, the only ruler of Sindarian elves in Greenwood the Great.  
  
"Welcome Haluin, son of Valui, I am Candria of the Lorien elves. Come, my Lady is anxiously waiting to see you." Candria had heard her Queen's summons inside her mind, asking Candria to bring the messenger of Thranduil to her halls. Haluin picked up his bow and followed as Candria wound her way through the labyrinth of the mellyrn trees to Caras Galadhon, wherein dwelled the Lord and Lady of Lorien.  
  
"What counsel do you seek with my Lady? What troubles Greenwood that they should desire to travel so great a distance to our realm?" Haluin remained silent as they passed through a close-knit patch of trees that edged the base of the last hill until Caras Galadhon would come into sight. He sighed in the darkness; even Candria could sense that his heart was deeply troubled.  
  
"How I wish I could tell you of all the troubles of the world, of the shadows that are crawling like vermin into the happiness of Middle Earth. My lord, King Thranduil has bidden me only to speak with the Lady Galadriel; I can say however, that a host of Sindarian elves is following behind me not a days journey from Lorien." Haluin stopped suddenly as they reached the crest of the hill, Caras Galadhon spread out like a sea of lights in a blanket of darkness before him. His breath caught in his throat and Candria noticed for the first time how beautiful the city looked from above, how perfect the boughs of each tree were as silver spires in a flawless lace of absolute beauty.  
  
"That I had seen the glories of this earth was a lie, for never shall I gaze on so fair a place until the passing of all time." Haluin breathed out as if afraid to shatter the absolute silence and grace that seemed to live in the air surrounding the fair city. Candria simply smiled and began the descent into the trees where Galadriel held her courts.  
  



	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
"What you have said Haluin, son of Valui, is unhappy, yet not wholly unexpected news. That the shadow of the north is rising again was foreseen by many here, Thranduil is wise to suggest an alliance of all the elfin races of Middle Earth. It is only by strong unity, and not proud divisions, that the Dark Lord will not be allowed to rise again. I do not deny that I have seen many things in my dreams that darken my hope, but now we are no longer idle. Messengers from my city will be sent tonight to tell King Thranduil that we are in favor of the alliance, and that his men will be treated with the utmost respect when they arrive." Haluin bowed low, his golden hair brushing the floor as he left the counsel of Galadriel.  
  
"Candria, come forward." Candria, who had been asked by Galadriel to stay and listen to all that was said, stepped forward from her seat in the shadows of the silver hall.  
  
"Leave at once with two of our fastest riders and bring this to Thranduil, he will know that we have accepted." Galadriel held out a golden leaf from the trees of Lorien, marked in the center with the seal of Celeborn. Candria kneeled before Galadriel and took the leaf, delicately wrapping it in a fold of material, and placing it within the shaft of her quiver.  
  
"I go at your command my Lady. How long shall I stay in Greenwood?" Candria looked up into the clear blue eyes of Galadriel and heard:  
  
^ I shall call for you Candria, until I do, remain at Greenwood in the care of King Thranduil ^  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
Candria felt the wind whip her hair around her neck as she sped towards Greenwood atop Moreaui, flanked by Feani and Reani, brothers born on the same day and great hunters themselves. The night pulled her veils back as they cut across the land at a steady pace, in no great hurry, but pulled by the haste of Candria to deliver the leaf and return to Lorien.  
  
Candria had traveled out of the forest of her childhood but once, and then only to visit the great river Anduin. She had heard many tales of the sea as a child, of the beauty and the lure of the foaming waves of the western sea, and being a child of immesurable curiosity, had begged Galadriel to take her to see the great river, from which all travels to the sea were made. Candria found the river to be thundering and loud, that the charm of the sea, the desire to go forth on its glassy surfaces, had not been implanted in her heart. She was drawn instead to the earth, and all it contained therein. There was nothing more beautiful to Candria than the trees and flowers that sprang from the rich soil, and nothing more alluring than the crystal rivers that demanded her lips to touch them on warm summer days. She did not desire to leave Middle Earth, she wanted for nothing and could not conceive a haven more beautiful than the creation she walked in every day.  
  
Every painful step she took away from the forests of Lorien, she longed to take back, thus loathing the sounds of Moreaui's hoof beats as they drew her from the comfort of her home. Candria wondered that Galadriel had chosen her for so important a mission. There were many brave soldierly elf-men in Lorien who would have been better suited if danger should have befallen their group. Galadriel had always been loath to afford Candria any liberty from the forests of Lorien, and now had sent her away willingly and at great speed. Could Candria have read the deepest thoughts of the Queen, she would have known that she would never see the mellyrn forests of her home again.  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
On their third day out from Lorien, the riders saw faintly on the horizon a thin lace of dark shadows against the crimson sunset. The forests of Greenwood were within sight, yet still a full night's travel away. Candria paused here for a moment as a feeling she had never known passed through her senses. She felt as though she were coming home for the first time, as though all of her secrets lay hidden in the vast expanse spread out before her.  
  
Candria let Moreaui loose and they flew across the open plains, leaving Feani and Reani far behind. There was something intoxicating about the air, a current that seemed to intensify as they approached the enchanted forests of Greenwood. The wind seemed to pick up the waving grass before them and split it into a path for their horses to follow.  
  
The night waxed and the three riders slowed their pace to see things far ahead in the inky blackness. It was said that the powerful magic of the Sindar guarded the forests surrounding the city of King Thranduil, and that all who entered were lost in eternal darkness if not shown the way by the Sindarian elves of that realm.  
  
It was near dawn that they reached the first outskirts of trees and thus entered into Greenwood. As they made their way slowly, not daring to brandish their bows, Candria heard many voices running through her ears. They were all around her, sitting in the trees, whispering and wondering at the strangers that had come into their land. She did not dare look up and try to spot them, if they were commanded to let the riders pass, she would make no motion that could be thought aggressive.  
  
The woods grew thicker, and the whispers in the trees grew suddenly silent causing Candria to stare ahead with nervous anticipation. The smallest leaf falling from the trees landed like thunder on her ears and caused Moreaui to prance lightly on the soft ground. The two brothers tried to calm their horses who were snorting and pawing as their riders nervously turned from side to side to hear anything they could. It was known that more than the Wood-elves of Thranduil's realm inhabited the forests of Greenwood. There were whispers of fell beasts wandering back into the dark places of the forest, infecting the land with their sicknesses of hatred and evil.  
  
Suddenly Candria threw her head upwards, the clear ring of traveling feet on the earth echoed in her delicate ears, causing her to squeeze Moreaui's thighs to a halt. Moreaui could sense that Candria wished him to be silent and so, unlike Feani and Reani's steeds, kept still and breathed quietly into the morning air. Feani turned from his left to his right in vain attempts to see any sign of movement in the trees surrounding them.  
  
"Silence." Candria softly touched Feani's horse with the tip of her gloved finger and the beast ceased moving. Feani stared at Candria in awe, yet not dumbfounded amazement. The legend that Lady Galadriel's Candria had special powers had been a favorite among the elfin children of Lorien.  
  
"Welcome Candria of the Lorien elves, and Feani and Reani of the house of Fealior. Our Lord and Lady welcome you to Greenwood." It was as though the thick net of trees had parted to reveal a small band of Sindarian elves, none bearing weapons of any kind. Three of the tallest elves held in their hands cloaks of fine material woven by the hands of the elf-maidens of Thranduil's kingdom as gifts for the messengers of Lorien. The leader motioned for the riders to accept the cloaks and dismounting, each of the three messengers took their gifts from the elves.  
  
Candria let the light material fall through her fingertips, like water slipping through cracks. The cloak was a dark blue, and when she pulled it about her shoulders she was amazed at how easily it hugged her form. After thanking the elves for their gifts, the leader of the host introduced himself as Limlias, general of the King's armies in Greenwood.  
  
"Armies?" Candria ventured, "Has it come to armies so soon?" She looked into Limlias' eyes and saw great fear clouding his thoughts, a nameless shadow passed behind his irises and left her feeling cold inside.  
  
"Yes my Lady, but come, there is time for talk and many other things once we reach the halls of the city. Follow me." Their progress was slow, picking their way through the woods of Greenwood while trying to find wide enough spaces for the rider's horses to pass through.  
  
"It is not usually so difficult to bring horses through these woods, but your approach from the south west was not anticipated, the roads had been cleared to the south east. We shall manage, the main road to Thranduil's city is but a half mile further inside the woods." Limlias stroked Moreaui as he walked alongside his flanks talking with Candria.  
  
"A magnificent beast, his sire must have been a sight to behold. Do I see the markings of a horse of Rohan?" Limlias ran his palm along Moreaui's bare back, feeling the lines of his arching figure.  
  
"Yes. A gift to my Lady Galadriel as a sign of friendship when men and elves were still allies, before proud divisions parted all the races of Middle Earth." Candria sighed deeply, wondering at the ignorance of both man and elves, that they would not join and thus become one force to assuage the power of the forces of the north.  
  
"Those times shall be again, the shadows have not touched all the land, and there is light yet in the hearts of men." Limlias sprinted ahead and called them towards the main road. Before them the path twisted behind the thick growth and into a valley of thickset trees and laying in the center, like a mountain amidst a barren sea, the towers of a mighty city. Unlike Caras Galadhon, this site held no lights that danced in the night, but instead had spires that twisted into the clear sky, almost touching the sun. While Candria was not impressed by its beauty, but she felt that it was not made to be admired, but instead to be a stronghold, a place of security.  
  
"All of the realm is preparing for the ball tonight. Your coming on the last day of our festival of the sun has been a wonderful blessing and my Lord desires you to be the guests of honor at the dance." Candria laughed shortly and pulled her quiver off her back, glancing inside to be sure the leaf was still protected.  
  
"I don't expect that we shall be staying long enough to attend a ball. I am expecting a summons from my Queen after I deliver her message." Even as she said the words she knew that they were not true, and she suddenly understood why Galadriel had sent her away. She was never going home. The horrible realization weighed down her heart to the point of agony. She suddenly felt as though she were standing on a great precipice, unable to grasp at anything familiar to keep herself from falling into immesurable sadness.  
  
"Is something wrong my Lady?" Feani strode up beside her as her step faltered. He desired to reach out to her, but his fear of breaking Galadriel's law held him back. Candria desired more than anything to be held in that moment, to be brought into the warmth of an embrace and know that all had not abandoned her. But that touch did not come, and for the first time Candria resented the laws and the wisdom of Galadriel and Lord Celeborn.  
  
"No Feani. I am fine." She straightened her back and stared ahead peacefully, as though she was beginning a new life with the dawn of the day. Candria did not know by what knowledge Galadriel had sent her to live with King Thranduil and the Wood-elves of Greenwood the Great, but she knew that it would be revealed to her in due time. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
The city gates stood before them like sentinels of stone, each wall lined with sashes of green, yellow, red, and brown to celebrate the festival of the sun. All along the tall stone gates sat elves with long golden hair that seemed to glow silver in the light of the morning sun.  
  
"Welcome to the city of Thranduil, Lord of the Sindar of Greenwood, elves of Lorien." Limlias gestured inside the gates as they swung open to reveal the silver stone towers of the city. All about the streets were elves of various ages and sizes, all bearing the same fair skin and golden hair, all laughing and dancing in anticipation of the ball.  
  
"You are all asked to rest in the chambers that we have prepared for your coming, the King will see you after the ball." Limlias brought them to a young maiden who led them inside the castle and to their rooms in the south wing.  
  
  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
"Your room my Lady. The ball will begin at the eve if…"  
  
"I shan't be attending the ball; I've no dress to wear and I do not feel much like dancing. If you would be so kind as to give my regards to the King, I think I shall stay here." The young maiden made no move to leave, but stood as if transfixed in the doorway.  
  
"My Lady should attend the ball, it is the wish of King Thranduil that you should attend. As for dresses, the maidens of the castle have made you a wardrobe from their own hands. If you should need anything, simply call." The maiden bowed out and left Candria standing alone in a world she did not know. For a moment, her will power denied her the tears that stung her eyes, and then she could contain her grief no longer. She wandered onto her balcony that opened into the courtyard below and wept as she sat down upon the cool stone. Her heart bled crimson tears that fell in her chest with great sobs as she surveyed her prison walls. How could Galadriel have been so cruel? To imprison her in a city of stone, never to see the lights of Caras Galadhon, nor climb the trees of her youth again, was the cruelest of fates. The city now in all of its glory paled to the beauty of Lorien, nothing was ever so fair as those woods, and now to be lost in castles of rock was unbearable.  
  
She did not count the hours she spent on the balcony, only that morning passed to mid-day and from thence to dusk. The hour of the ball was approaching, and although she did not feel like merrymaking, she dared not refuse the bidding of her new guardian.  
  
Candria opened the doors of her wardrobe and the sight that met her eyes caught her breath in her throat. There were rows of the most beautiful dresses she had ever laid eyes upon in her whole life, surpassing even the fair robes of Celeborn and Galadriel. Each outfit was stitched to the tiniest detail, each dress more beautiful than the last. She pulled her gloves off and reached out to touch the fine material of the dresses, finding them to be as light as her cloak.  
  
Candria selected one of blood red hue that did not gather in any places; all of the lines were smooth and straight. The design was simple, and yet unlike any she had seen before. The neck opened in a square design and each sleeve fell away into a slender bell shape at the wrist. There were lengths of material and yet the dress was not heavy or cumbersome to put on. To match there was a pair of lace gloves, cream in color and more beautiful and fine than she had ever seen. Candria had never been raised as the royalty she was, yet as she pulled the gloves on she felt as though she was slipping into a crown. All of her inner grace and beauty poured out onto her skin and eyes, giving her the radiant glow of a deity.  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
The halls had been set as none who lived in that realm had ever seen. All around the walls were covered in swaths of material that lifted if so much as a dress ruffled the air nearby. A small group of minstrels were filling the hall with music so gay and lively that Candria forgot most of her troubles for a moment and delighted in gazing at the beauty of the hall.  
  
"My Lady Candria of Lorien, we are pleased to see you here." Candria spun around to find herself facing the King. She bowed respectfully and righted herself, all the while never removing her eyes from his face. Thranduil stared into her eyes and she heard faintly: ^All of your questions shall be answered, for I see you have many. Do not let your heart be troubled, for tonight is a night of rejoicing. I shall send for you before the dance is over and you may then deliver your message. ^  
  
"May I have the honor of this dance, my Lady?" King Thranduil offered Candria his arm and she bowed again, bringing her gloved arm to his. They walked onto the dance floor, Candria's heart beating so wildly that she could hardly keep her hands from shaking. The music began at a lively pace and King Thranduil bowed to Candria, she returning with a curtsy. They took hands and danced lightly across the floor, every step spinning Candria into happiness she had not thought possible only a few hours earlier. She found that her touch did not seem to affect the King, adding to her delight that he would be a good friend and protector; Galadriel had chosen well.  
  
She danced all evening with many elfin Lords, each delighting in hearing stories of Lorien and the realm of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Each time she touched a new dancing partner she seemed to hold the same strange power over him, a power that bound him to her for the short time they held each other's eyes. Candria was held in fear for the few moments when they would part, for the elves seemed to almost physically resist. She knew that her power had grown stronger as the night wore on, each departure more difficult than the last. She began to see why Galadriel forbid any elf to touch her skin, for what power might she hold then?  
  
As the dance came to a close and the minstrels were replaced by songs and storytelling, Candria felt weariness creeping through her skin and she desired no longer to do anything but rest. She found her way onto the terrace extending from the ballroom, the light sound of laughter and music growing fainter behind her. The place was deserted and she found the first cool breeze she had felt in months roll across her face and lift her hair ever so slightly from her shoulders. Suddenly, it was as though the voice of Galadriel had been carried on this wind, and now whispered softly in her mind:  
  
^You see I have brought you into a land where you shall be safe. Do not let your heart be weary with desire for Lorien, when these times have fallen into legend, you may yet still see Caras Galadhon. I miss you very much, and you shall never be far from home, for you have taken some of the light of the trees with you at your departing. Farewell Candria, we shall always meet again in our dreams.^  
  
The breeze left and it seemed to carry away the weight on Candria's heart. Her eyes traveled across the miles of forest now cloaked in silver moonlight and saw how beautiful the trees looked in their cloaks of night. Smiling to herself she wandered across the terrace, watching small blossoms fall from the eaves above.  
  
"How pleasant your smile makes the night my Lady." She quickly spun around, ashamed that she had been watched unawares. Her eyes ran along the darkened walls, revealing an elfin Lord sitting in the darkest corner, his eyes casually staring into hers. Candria was at a loss as to what to say, her awkward embarrassment compelled her to do the only thing she could think of- walk away. She hurriedly turned towards the ballroom and made her way quickly towards the light.  
  
"No, wait…I wish to speak with you my Lady." Candria dared not turn around until she had reached the security of the ballroom. Her face was flushed and she declined an invitation to sing, much to the displeasure of the elves, as she made her way towards the doors that led into the halls. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
"My Lady." A young man's voice came from directly behind her and she felt no other choice but to turn and face him. Candria came face to face, not with the elf she had seen on the terrace, but a vassal of King Thranduil.  
  
"The King wishes to see you. This way please." He motioned for her to follow. After a long walk through the various passes and halls of the palace the vassal motioned towards a tall set of wooden doors, which opened into the court of the King. Candria suddenly remembered that she hadn't brought the leaf of Galadriel with her and turned to the youth.  
  
"I shall be along presently, there is something I must bring to the King but it is in my room." She turned to go, but the servant offered to retrieve whatever she wished to have from her quarters.  
  
"Thank you. It is a golden leaf with a seal upon its center, wrapped in material inside my quiver." He bowed and quickly set off to retrieve the leaf. Meanwhile, Candria walked up to the mighty doors and stared at the woodwork, admiring the complexity of the delicate carvings. In the wood of each door the mighty trees of Greenwood were carved to the finest detail. Something compelled her to touch the doors with her hands, to run her fingers along the fine crevices of the delicate crafting. She pulled the lace glove off her right hand and pressed her fingertips against the door. For a moment she thought she felt a tremor pass through the wood and into her skin, but the moment passed as quickly as it came.  
  
"My Lady." The vassal had been quick about his work.  
  
"Thank you I…" She turned to find herself facing the elf that she had left on the terrace. A hot wave of embarrassment rushed through her skin and pounded the blood in her temples so loudly she thought they would burst. His manner was aloof as he seemingly disregarded her for a moment and wandered over towards the bookshelves that lined the walls of the room. As he was lightly brushing his fingertips across their bindings, he flippantly remarked:  
  
"Is it the custom of the Lorien elf-maidens to abruptly leave when one tries to engage them in conversation?" His eyes did not leave the shelves, or he would have seen a flash pass over Candria's countenance before she recovered and coolly replied:  
  
"Is it your custom to spy upon ladies when they are without the company of any protection?" At this he turned to face her, the smooth lines of his jaw setting in a hard and indignant manner. He walked the length of the room across from Candria, never bothering to remove his eyes from Candria as any gentleman would have. Instead, he regarded her with the same appraising look that one used to select a horse. She felt her body quake with an anger that was building up inside of her and bursting at her tongue to escape.  
  
"Spying?" His face broke into a condescending smile that Candria found more loathsome than his high airs. "You flatter yourself my Lady, for it was you that wandered onto the terrace, and thus into my view. I did not pursue you, intent upon taking advantage of your loneliness in the darkness of the eaves."  
  
"And yet you have followed me here." Candria dared not say more, intent upon keeping her tongue chained until the vassal would return and rescue her from the presence of the elf.  
  
"Again, your vanity is proving to be the weaver of your rather elaborate fantasies. I did not follow you here, I was summoned by my father and commanded to wait here. Although it is of little consequence to me, I do feel inclined to ask what you are doing here, so far away from the merrymaking." Just as Candria opened her mouth to reply, the servant came in, carrying the leaf before him, still wrapped in the cloth. When he caught sight of the elf-Lord he started and them quickly bowed.  
  
"Welcome home, my Lord." The elf smiled at the servant and looked back up again at Candria. The vassal approached her and held out the leaf for her taking. She suddenly realized that her right hand was still ungloved and she felt a quick stab of fear as she fumbled to put the glove back on. Candria took the leaf when she had covered her hand and she faced the servant, unsure of what to do next when the elf spoke to the young vassal.  
  
"May I see my father now, for I know he is anxious to hear the tidings of the south-wood." His haughty smile was caught in Candria's throat, causing her to suddenly feel unwelcome and unwanted. She suddenly realized that this elf's father was King Thranduil. Just as she was about to comment upon her discovery, she heard the heaven doors behind her sliding slowly open.  
  
Candria turned from the elf and the servant and faced the doors from whence a white light mixed with gray shadows was pouring forth. She blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted to the brilliance of the light and then determined to remain calm, she stepped forward boldly into the chamber of Thranduil.  
  
"Welcome Candria, Lady of Lorien. Come forward child." There was something great and terrible about Thranduil as he was perched atop a throne woven of the supple boughs of trees. Every bit of his earthly approachability had been replaced with the glory of authority and the presence of power. Candria felt herself walk forward, unafraid of the mighty visage of King Thranduil. She was drawn to him as a child caught in the romance of a story, lost on a sea that was taking her she knew not where.  
  
"King Thranduil, I bring you the leaf of the mellyrn tree as a symbol of the Lady Galadriel and the Lord Celeborn's agreement to join your alliance." She stooped at the foot of his throne and held the leaf above her head for him to take. Thranduil removed the leaf from her hands and bade her sit next to him at the right side of his throne.  
  
He looked intently at the leaf for a while in silence, pausing every now and then to look at Candria. She perceived that the leaf had had more to do with her than with the agreement between Thranduil and the Lorien elves.  
  
In fact, Galadriel had not sent Candria to deliver the message of her acquiesce, but to deliver herself. For Candria was more important to the survival of the elfin race in the dark times to come, than anyone save Galadriel could know. After what seemed an eternity, Thranduil laid the leaf aside and turned to face Candria. His eyes were set as though he was preparing himself for what he had to say.  
  
"Candria, there are many questions that you have wanted answered since you were a child. I can find no way to respond to them all, save only those that will be revealed by what I am going to tell you. I know this shall be difficult to understand, but you must pay attention and believe all that I say." He turned to look across the hall and noticed his son waiting patiently outside; clearly upset that Candria had taken precedence over him. Thranduil motioned for him to come forward and take the seat at his left and hear all that was said. So Thranduil began the story of Candria, of her father and mother and all that had transpired to bring her to Greenwood.  
  
"First and foremost you must realize that your coming to Greenwood was not for the purpose of delivering the message of Galadriel, her intentions were known to me by other means much faster than riders. I sense you already knew this when you first entered into Greenwood. There are great powers within you Candria, and few have known of your very existence, a secret closely guarded by the power of Lorien and Galadriel.  
  
Your mother was the fairest maiden to ever walk in Middle Earth, the half-Valar Luthien Tinuviel. Before she was found in the forests of Neldoreth by Beren, son of Barahir, she had a child by the Valar Orome. Orome was a mighty lord, a lover of Arda, skilled hunter, and was loath to leave the shores of Middle Earth for Valinor. I believe from what Galadriel told me that you as well do not have the desire to travel from your home in Middle Earth for the Grey Havens. So has Orome's blood passed on to you his love for the earth.  
  
Because the blood of the Valar flows through your veins, the power of your touch is immeasurable, even to me. Your blessing is the gift of healing, a gift passed to you by the love of your mother and the power of your father. There are many things you may be able to do that we have not foreseen as yet, but of this we are sure: you, Candria, are gifted with the touch that binds the life force of whomever or whatever you are touching to your command. It is because of this that Galadriel set the law that you should never know the direct touch of another's skin.  
  
You have been sent to Greenwood in preparation for the war that is coming. The shadows are once again crawling into this forest, infesting the southern borders with orcs and other beasts of the darkness. The power of the elves cannot fend off the creatures that are pouring from the mountains into our land. The wisest of our race feel that one of the Nazgul who escaped from the fall of Morgoth has hidden himself in the forest, although we have been unable to find any trace of him. It is only by the healing of you hands will the battle we are about to fight be won. You have a gift, a rare and wonderful power that will deliver our race from the hands of destruction." Thranduil paused to look at Candria; her eyes were now wide and full of wonder. She pondered all that had been said in the silence of Thranduil's stare, her breathing became slower and the full knowledge of her parentage washed over her, bathing her in solemnity. The questions of her youth were answered, the truths of all fallacies discovered by Thranduil's disclosure. After what seemed an eternity, the silence of the hall was broken by Candria's voice, almost a whisper.  
  
"Why…why is my gift the savior of the elfin race? I don't understand." She looked down at her hands, the lace of the gloves betraying small specks of her fair skin. Her hands shook uncontrollably, quivering despite her efforts to still her fingers.  
  
"Many of our elves shall fall in the battles against the shadow, it is by your touch that they shall be spared death. I do not mean to say that you can bring the dead to life, for that power is held only by Iluvitar himself; your touch can bring the dying back into the realm of light. As long as there is the smallest bit of life left in a being, you can draw them through your power back to living." Candria suddenly remembered the stone that she wore around her neck. She reached down and pulled at the silver chain that held the red stone against her breast. The gem seemed to glow brilliantly in the presence of Thranduil as she held it up for him to see.  
  
"This, I was told, was a gift from my mother, now I wish to know the origin of this stone, for I have never seen its equal in all the jewels of the Lorien realm." Thranduil touched the stone with the tip of his finger and suddenly the dancing flame filled the entire sphere with a crimson glow.  
  
"You have never seen its like, because this stone was made at the hands of Aule, at the wish of Orome for Luthien to have as an heirloom for their child. In its depths are the flames of Luthien's heart, always glowing at the touch of kindness or love. It is a very rare gift, and if I am not mistaken, by the power of this stone, you have greater sight and hearing than any of your kindred." He looked into her eyes. "You have the clearest eyes of any elf that has ever been in Middle Earth- therefore it is also by this orb that your sight has been blessed, and your mind able to see the thoughts of others, a skill which you will learn in time… Have you any other questions?" Candria's head was swimming with questions, but exhaustion was creeping through her bones and she desired to rest, her weariness suddenly catching up with her.  
  
"No my Lord, I ask leave of your grace to rest." She stood up and bowed to Thranduil, her eyes darting to his son who seemed to be watching her with a newfound amazement.  
  
"If you could but stay a moment longer, I should very much like you to hear what news my son had brought us from the southern borders of our forest. You have already been introduced I take it?" Candria looked directly at his son, all of her embarrassment lost in a sea of thoughts more important than any humiliation he had caused her.  
  
"No King Thranduil, we have not been formerly introduced." At this his son stood up, his eyes casting down upon her with their aloof glow.  
  
"Then, Candria, Lady of Lorien, daughter of Luthien, I present to you Legolas, son of Thranduil, and heir to my kingdom." Candria lifted her gloved hand up to him, and Legolas took it, lightly kissing it as a formal gesture. He seemed to pause momentarily before releasing her hand, caught by the same force that Candria held on all she touched. She forced a smile and retook her seat by the side of Thranduil, her mind wandering from thought to thought, hardly able to focus upon what Legolas was saying.  
  
"…and after three days of traveling the border we came upon the largest host of orcs dwelling near the south east edges of the forest. They were stopped thirteen miles inside the forest, and when they broke camp they began to move northward. We lost them most unusually; it was as though they had disappeared into the ground without trace or track. We did not encounter any other beasts on our way through the forest, and the ride returning to the city was not followed." Legolas bowed and asked leave of Thranduil.  
  
"Yes. I am tired and I know that you both must be as well. Legolas, escort Candria to her room please." Thranduil rose and bid them both good night. Legolas offered Candria his arm and for a moment, she considered refusing. Out of weariness she slipped her arm into his and he led her out of the hall. For a while they walked along in silence, her mind wandering through all that had been told to her and her free hand playing with the stone around her neck.  
  
"If I offended you, then I am sorry." Legolas' voice had changed and now seemed to be truly filled with regret. Candria felt ashamed of what she had said as well, her hand let her necklace drop as she replied:  
  
"If you offended me? There should be no doubt that you did, but I shan't let you redeem yourself in my graces if you do not allow me to do the same. I am sorry for all I said as well, I…I was afraid and alone. My fear did not afford me the right to be rude." They arrived at her door and without another word, or response from him, she passed through, ready to collapse from exhaustion. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
In the days that followed Candria spent her time walking around the halls and gardens of the city, her head held somewhat lower and here eyes cast downwards as though in a daze. She visited Moreaui in the stables where he pawed and nipped her, unaccustomed to being abandoned for so long without a run.  
  
"Oh Moreaui, that I did not have to bear such a burden. I see now how I am a threat and a blessing to these people. If my touch can heal, as Thranduil said, then my touch can destroy. I wish I had not these troubles to wear, for they are too heavy for my heart. But listen, I have been sulking for long enough. Come Moreaui, let us stretch your legs and let you fly in the sun." Moreaui seemed to hear what she said, for he began to neigh excitedly and he pranced about on the ground as she gathered her skirt to jump upon his back.  
  
Candria leapt upon him and without a motion he shot off like an arrow. She grasped his mane and laid down on his back, allowing him to run at his leisure. The air split across her face and pulled the folds of her dress into the wind, causing her slender white calf to appear from the lengths of her dress in the brilliant morning sun.  
  
As they rode into the fields surrounding the city, Candria forgot all her worries and all of her troubles, casting them on the wind that sped them far away from her. The beauty of the trees and the smell of the earth filled her to overflowing and for the first time since she left Lorien, she laughed and began to sing in the sunlight. All around her the world flew by and she did not care, time was racing to the sound of Moreaui's hoof beats as they tore across the soft earth.  
  
After a time Moreaui came to a walk and Candria began to look about her at where she was. The palace was no longer in sight, but she could still hear the sound of busy footsteps around the city miles away. They came to a small glen where the trees above knitted into an umbrella of lace that cast shadows that danced across the small patch of earth. Candria jumped off of Moreaui and walked into the small ring of light. She removed her leather gloves and looked at her hands in the shadows of the trees. Upon the bark of the trees small flowers were growing, each a tender pink color, delicate and beautiful.  
  
She regarded the flowers and then looked at her hands again. With fear shaking her body she moved her finger towards one of the tender blossoms. Just was she was a hair's breadth away from the delicate petals, she heard the sound of approaching hoof beats. Candria quickly slipped her hands back into her leather gloves and turned around.  
  
Arriving from the same direction she had come, was the young servant she had met the night Thranduil had summoned her. He was atop a white steed of lesser breeding than Moreaui, but with the most amazing snow-white body that Candria had ever seen.  
  
"My Lady," He threw his leg over the horse's neck and dismounted, bowing to Candria, "I come at the command of Thranduil. There is a small band of elves making a day's journey into the woods to hunt orcs that have been seen near the city. My Lord asks if you would care to join, knowing your skill with a bow and your passion for hunting." Candria smiled at him, glad to have the opportunity to ride in the forest and explore its secrets. She accepted and jumped atop Moreaui to make her way back to the palace and change into her hunting clothes, for she couldn't ride through the forests of Greenwood in a dress and cloak. The servant was turning his horse towards the city when Candria stopped him.  
  
"Just a moment. This is the second time I have seen you, and I have yet to learn your name." He smiled bashfully and replied:  
  
"My name is Halafin."  
  
"And you parents? Who are they?" His face grew still and his smile slowly faded to a dull gaze. Candria felt ashamed that she had embarrassed him; after all, she had not always had a mother and father that she had known of.  
  
"I do not know of my mother or father, Thranduil found me in the forest left on a bed of leaves. He believes me to be special, and thus keeps me in his courts for what he believes will be a 'higher purpose' someday, although I do not see it," at this his smile returned as he looked again at Candria, "But then again, we do not see all ends, or our importance until the time is right, don't we?" Candria smiled as well and pulled Moreaui next to Halafin's steed.  
  
"No," she replied knowingly, "we don't." 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  
  
"I am so glad to see you have accepted, we shall enjoy your company upon the hunt." A familiar voice greeted her as she rode up to the small band of ten elves waiting to depart from the city gates.  
  
"Limlias!" She smiled and rode up next to him. He laughed in return, his golden hair catching the noonday sunlight and his voice sounding of bird's song.  
  
"The story of you pinning Haluin to a tree has become famous amongst us hunters of the realm, we should like to see you do it again." Limlias smiled, as it was Candria's turn to laugh.  
  
"Perhaps we shall have the chance, if Haluin returns to the city, I shall show you my trick." Candria turned at her waist to see Legolas riding up behind them, apparently joining the fray. Limlias recounted Candria's greeting upon Haluin's entering of the Lorien forests. Limlias grinned as he offhandedly remarked that Candria was the finest archer he had ever seen, her shot had been one in a thousand. Legolas smiled as well, his eyes full of respect for Candria as she brushed the compliment away, commenting that the moon had simply been to her advantage.  
  
"We shall see how fine your hunting skills are my Lady, the orc host had been sighted not two days ago near our south east border, come, let us ride." Legolas turned his cream colored horse towards the city gates and spurned him on, quickly followed by Limlias, Candria, Sandrui and Jindrui of the house of Minithis, Haldras of the Nundori family, Faldras of the house of Griduin, and three brothers from the wood-elves that had moved from the southern parts of Greenwood into Thranduil's care; Beli, Hali, and Goli.  
  
They traveled quickly along the direct road that led for a short distance into the forest, the sounds and smells of the city left far behind as they were replaced with the life of the trees around them. After a time the road began to split into many paths, some leading into darkness and wandering, some to the borders of the forest and beyond. It was here that the riders left the road and began to track the orcs that had been seen near the crossroads.  
  
The group looked for signs until well into dusk, not a trace had been found in the thick growth of the trees. It was when the night had fallen that Legolas called the hunters to his side to examine a fresh set of tracks he had found near the bank of a small spring.  
  
"What do you make of these? They are from no creature that I have a memory of." Legolas pointed to the curious footprints, which indeed, none among the party could match a beast to. Goli, the youngest of the three brothers from the south spoke after observing the print that he had seen one like it, but of a smaller size when he had hunted in south Greenwood.  
  
"See how the feet have only three toes, and claws have turned the earth as it walked past here? It seems to have been traveling that way." Faldras pointed eastward, his eyes fixed on Legolas. It was the leader's decision as to whether they would travel onward in the danger of the night with an unaccounted for orc hoard somewhere in the forest.  
  
"Let us track this beast, friend or foe this mysterious being must be accounted for if not captured." Just as he threw his leg upon his horse he toppled off, an arrow caught in his shoulder.  
  
"Yrch!" Limlias strung his bow with the speed of lightning as Candria loosed an arrow that struck the orc that had been hiding in the boughs of a nearby tree. The elves stood as still and as silent as statues, waiting to hear the movement of the orcs.  
  
"He was alone, a spy no doubt." Candria lowered her bow and ran over to where Legolas lay. His wound was not serious, but his face was filled with shock as he clutched the arrow lodged in his shoulder.  
  
"Don't." Candria pulled his hand off the shaft and pulled off her gloves. "Limlias, find something for me to use as a pressure for his shoulder." She grasped the arrow with her right hand and pressed downwards on his shoulder with her left as she quickly pulled it out with one swift movement. At this Legolas' face contorted with pain and although he made no sound, Candria saw a single tear fall from his eye as he closed them and turned away from his shoulder.  
  
While she waited for Limlias to return, Candria examined the arrow, and coming to the conclusion it was not poisoned, merely crudely fashioned, she sighed with relief. Limlias ran up beside her and handed her a small swath of soft cloth he had left with his cloak.  
  
Candria pulled open Legolas' shirt and put her fingers against the cut to stop the bleeding. As soon as her hand touched his chest Legolas breathed in deeply and quickly, arching his back and raising off the ground; then, just as suddenly, he laid back down again, his breathing now deeper. For the first time Candria felt her power flowing from her fingers into his body, his eyes were wide open again and staring at her as she lifted her now bloody fingertips and pressed the cloth onto the wound. It had stopped bleeding, but the cut was still open and Candria did not trust it enough to leave it alone. She pulled a long strip of material from the leather pouch she carried about her waist and tied the square of cloth to his shoulder.  
  
Legolas sat up, not removing his eyes from Candria, but touching the patch on his shoulder with his fingers. She stood up, unsure of what to do or say. He turned his deep blue eyes from her and looked at his shoulder. With one movement, Legolas pulled the cloth off his shoulder to reveal no wound at all! It was as though there had never been an arrow in his shoulder, as if the cut had never been. He looked back quickly at Candria, who stepped away in sudden fear. She pulled her gloves back onto her hands, not removing her eyes from the flawless skin of his shoulder.  
  
"So it is true." Limlias whispered as he looked over Candria's shoulder at Legolas, and then back at Candria. She turned from Legolas to Limlias, both now staring at her and as she turned around, she found the entire company was silent, all regarding her with looks of astonishment.  
  
"Come," Legolas stood on his feet and refastened his shirt, "We still have work to do. That orc was a scout for his company, they cannot be far away." He mounted his horse and pulled his cloak over his shoulders, still touching the hole in the material where the arrow had pierced.  
  
"My Lady," Sandrui offered her his hand to help her upon Moreaui, but she dared not touch him. Candria thanked him for his offer and jumped upon Moreaui, still shaking from fear of her power as she whispered softly for him to walk. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight  
  
The elfin band traveled along the edge of a small stream for a while which glowed silver in the pale moonlight that was bathing the land. Legolas pulled up beside Candria, who had been riding in silence ever since she had healed his cut with her miraculous touch.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered as their path slowly turned south, "I didn't have the wits to say it before and I am sorry. The others do not understand, but they shall in time." She smiled gratefully and tentatively asked:  
  
"What…what did it feel like? I felt as though warmth were passing from my heart into my fingertips and through your skin." He turned and looked into her eyes, the moonlight playing with shadows in their depths. For a moment he seemed hesitant, as though he was unsure of what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He lowered his voice even more, so the others would not hear his words.  
  
"I saw your heart, if but for the briefest moment. It was an organ of fire that consumed me, and the tears of your heart poured into the warmth of your blood and passed into me. I…I felt warm and yet cold, as if your touch was a blanket that covered my shivering body. It…thank you." He lowered his eyes and nudged his horse forward to the head of the group.  
  
Candria stared ahead into the darkness, her heart filled with stirrings that she had never known before. It was as though Legolas now carried a part of herself within him. She could not explain what she felt, it was as though she could not keep her thoughts from spinning, or her heart from beating wildly in her chest. A warm rush followed an icy wave that swam through her body and caused her head to spin. Just as she looked ahead to see if she could see anything in the forest beyond, she heard the unmistakable sound of an orc breathing in the tree just to her right.  
  
She suddenly felt terror strike her to the core as she cursed herself for not paying closer attention to the forest than to the wanderings of her heart. Candria realized that the moment she reached for her bow, the orc would fire the arrow she knew he had already pointed at her chest. For a second she paused, and then with the speed of lightening, pulled an arrow from her quiver while simultaneously bringing her bow up to her side.  
  
The arrow sunk into her chest just below her ribcage, as she loosed her own arrow from her Lebethron bow. There was a loud crash as the orc fell dead from the tree, Candria's arrow embedded in his heart. She fell from Moreaui with a cry, and landed on her side, pushing the arrow deep into her skin.  
  
Just as Goli had run to her side, an arrow whistled in the darkness and sheathed itself in his chest. There was a horrible shrieking as orcs jumped upon the elfin band from all sides, their attention turned from Candria whom they believed to be dead. She lay in silence, the pain in her side leading her slowly into blackness as she curled up in agony.  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
Sunlight landed in bursts across her eyes. She was moving through shadow and light quickly, the forest veil above her was flying by with the speed of the wind. There was motion, the steady rocking of horses' hoofs upon the soft ground. She was traveling through the forest, at whose hand she could say not, for she was also riding in and out of consciousness, her last memory the black mane of Haldras' horse whipping in the wind.  
  
^^^*^^^  
  
"Candria?" She stirred and felt the warmth of a bed underneath her. Thick blankets were pulled around her snugly, tucking her in and enveloping her in comfort. There was a light coming from somewhere nearby, it flickered and danced across her closed eyelids, as did the flames of candles that she usually lit at nightfall. For a moment, she caught the smell of earth and moonlight as they wafted across the breeze that was coming from, she assumed, an open window.  
  
"Candria?" The voice came again, a man's voice full of concern and at the same time flowing with relief. How long had she been sleeping, how long had it been since…and then she remembered the arrow. Her fingers moved down to her ribs, and thence to a patch of material, soft and oddly warm to her touch.  
  
Candria opened her eyes, the light from a nearby candle glowing in the darkness and barely illuminating her face. For a moment, her eyes could not adjust to the darkness; there were shapes and shadows she could not account for. As the world came into focus, she realized that she was not in her own quarters, but a smaller room, which served as the healing quarters for the castle. Her body felt limp as though she had not moved for days, and her hair was spilled all around her face, framing it in wreaths of mahogany. She turned slowly to the side, to see who had been calling her name. To her great surprise she recognized Legolas, sitting alone next to her bed, his golden hair kissed with the moonlight that was pouring in from an open window.  
  
"Legolas…" she muttered in half-surprise and half-happiness. He smiled and nodded, pausing for a moment to look into her eyes before arising to shut the curtains of the window. The cool night air was shut out and Candria noticed a small fire in the opposite corner of the room, glowing merrily and expanding to fill all the corners with warmth and light. He returned to his seat and watched her as she turned to look about the room.  
  
"We have kept you here for the past week, you can return to your own room now that you have awoken." Candria turned to face him again, her eyes wide with surprise.  
  
"A week? Have I been asleep all that time?" He nodded, commenting that she had occasionally been caught having fits of feverish dreams that had woken her for but a moment. For the rest of the time, under the watchful eyes of the healers and Thranduil, she had seemingly been at peace, only talking vaguely in her dreams from time to time.  
  
"Talking in my dreams? What did I say?" Legolas turned away and looked into the light of the candle seemingly to ignore her question. His eyes seemed to flicker as quickly as the flame from thought to thought, arousing Candria's suspicion and apprehension.  
  
"I hardly have the heart to tell you Candria, but it must be said. All were killed in the attack of the orcs, save only yourself, Jindrui, Hali, and myself." His change of subject was devastating; nothing could have prepared Candria for this blow. Before she knew it she was crying uncontrollably, her heart heavy with grief. Legolas turned away from her for a moment, tears brimming in his eyes as well, before he faced her again and knelt down beside her. He ran his fingers through her hair and across her cheek, trying to console her as best he knew how.  
  
"Shhh, it is alright Candria, there was nothing you could have done to prevent this from coming to pass." He whispered to her amidst the tears that streamed down her cheeks and onto her pillow. She turned away from him, pushing away his hand and continuing to cry.  
  
"I could have saved them." Candria said to him over her shoulder, her voice shaking in bitterness. Her body was weakened, every time she began to cry, the dull pain in her side would become unbearable, adding physical pain to her emotional agony. She noticed that her hands were not covered, and she looked at her fingers through a blur of tears, hating them with all the strength she could muster. Each fingertip was flawlessly beautiful, the skin and lines meeting at perfect fingernails, so white that they resembled the shape and flesh of almond halves. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into the skin so deeply they started to bleed.  
  
"You could not. You were gifted with healing, not with the power to foresee the future. There was nothing to be done for them, the wounds were all fatal, they died too quickly for you to have helped them. You could have done nothing, had you been awake." His lies did not bother his conscious, if Candria blamed herself and lived a thousand years never again smiling, it would not bring back the others. Legolas could not bear to hear her crying any longer, the grief weighing upon his heart could not handle the tears she shed.  
  
"Please Candria," he rounded the bed and again knelt beside her, picking up her hand in his, "please stop crying, it does no good to dwell in grief." A great wave of sadness washed over him as the grief of Candria passed through her palm and into his. He resolved not to let go, until all the hurt had passed into his body, leaving her in peace. For a moment, they stood transfixed, her tears silenced as she stared at his closed eyes. Legolas' eyebrows flinched as her heart's agony poured into him, filling him again with the sadness that had overwhelmed him upon his return to the castle bearing the lifeless Candria in his arms.  
  
She removed her hand from his, his eyes still shut and his breathing now shallow and quick. He opened his eyes with a start, his chest heaving as he stared at Candria. She was completely silent, her heart's grief gone and replaced again with the same feeling of warmth she had felt after curing Legolas' wound.  
  
"Why did you do that?" She looked deeply into his eyes, the flames in the depths now steady and serious. He looked down into his palm and noticed it was flecked with blood. His head shot up as he looked at Candria's palm where her fingernails had pierced the skin. A brief moment lapsed, each regarding the other as emotions they had never known swept through their bodies.  
  
"I…because I…" He faltered, his eyes saying more than even he knew. She suddenly felt frightened by what she sensed in his eyes, and what hers might be saying to him. With one movement she turned her head away and pulled the blankets of her bed closely around her chin.  
  
"Please leave." She needed only say it once. As the door shut, she could feel coldness creeping beneath her skin, as though he had left with all the warmth of the room.  
  
End of Part I 


	9. Part Two~ Chapter One

Part II ~ The Song of Candria and Legolas  
  
Chapter One  
  
The days passed slowly for Candria. She had regained much of her strength, but the scar in her side remained slightly painful, a hurt that Thranduil knew she would carry for the rest of her life. It was with Candria, that because she gave so much of her own life force to help others, she was more fragile and harder to heal than all the other elves of the realm.  
  
After the attack, Thranduil had cursed his foolish decision to let her travel out of the city and into the dangers of the forest. He had allowed his own pity for her sorrows overcome his judgment, and from thence on, she was commanded to remain within the city walls. She was too great and too valuable to risk.  
  
So it was the she spent many long weeks in the gardens of the palace, the only place she truly enjoyed visiting. There was so much life and growth around her in that place that she felt alive as well. She wandered the paths of the gardens with her head held aloof in deep meditation, wondering about all she had seen and felt in those few days she had been with Legolas.  
  
He was not seen by Candria for many years, perhaps, she thought, it was for the better that they never met again. She slowly began to know and recognize what she felt in her own heart for the elf-Lord, but her mind was terrified to accept it. To love Legolas was to begin a journey that would take years to understand. Those who undertook the burden of love were forever lost upon its tossing seas, bidden to watch the ebb and flow of the waters around them forever in fear of shadows in the deep. Dark times were fast approaching and she was constantly called upon to aid the wounded that were brought back from the forest. There was a great fear growing amongst the elves, a nameless shadow was tightening its grip upon Thranduil's realm. The forest was now known as Taur e-Ndaedelos, "The Forest of Great Fear", and it was discovered that the source of the evil power was residing the tower of Dol Guldur.  
  
Candria had never known love, it was a foreign ideal, it had always been the pursuits of others, never herself. She had always thought she was not made for love, that the love she felt for Middle Earth consumed every corner of her heart. It was only in the years following when she looked into Legolas' eyes that she realized she had never been near the boundaries of her heart, that her love for the earth was a single star in a boundless nighttime sky. She suddenly knew that it was not by loving all that was around her that she would be made whole, it was by wholly loving one man that she would be filled to overflowing.  
  
As the years passed, and summers pressed into endless winters, Candria remained within the castle more and more, walking the halls, secretly desiring and fearing to meet Legolas. Her heart began to consume itself with thoughts of him and she began to worry that she had not seen him for many winters now since their parting. She sat upon her balcony often, staring into the courtyard below and longing to find him amongst the throngs of people as they came hither and thither from the city gates.  
  
Winter was again cloaking the forest in his mantle of barren coldness. The days grew shorter as Candria now stayed completely inside, pausing from her daydreams only long enough to accept luncheon and supper.  
  
So it was, as she was sitting upon her bed watching the first snowfall, she heard a knock at her door. She bid them enter and found a small child standing quietly outside in the hallway. The appearance of the child was not nearly so surprising as what she held next to her chest. There, squeezed between the child's chubby arms, was a bouquet of the most beautiful elanor flowers Candria had ever seen. The girl brought them to the foot of the bed and set them upon the top blankets, curtsied, and left the room, leaving Candria staring in amazement and joy. She reached out to touch the beautiful flowers, their soft golden petals glowing with a dull luster in the light pouring from the window. She sat for a while fingering the small blossoms, smiling for the first time in years at the sight of the delicate flowers from her homeland.  
  
Candria cradled the bouquet, brought it to her boudoir, and picked all of the blossoms off, braiding them into her hair. The elanor flower grew only in the forests of Lorien, and when she was a child, it had been her favorite pastime to fill her hair with the winter 'sun-star' blossoms. As she looked in the mirror at the myriad of gold flecking her hair, she wondered but briefly whom they were from.  
  
Candria pulled on her winter cloak and walked out into the hall, wondering at whom the child was and where she had gone. Candria made her way outside, the soft snowflakes falling upon her skin and the cold air nipping the tips of her ears. She wandered to the gardens, where all the colorful flowers were gone, having been replaced by the silver and white winter flowers of Greenwood. She traced her way along the path, absentmindedly fondling her hair and warming at the sight of the elanor blossoms. She was so lost in thought that she hardly saw the elf-Lord waiting for her under the eaves of one of the garden trellises.  
  
"Candria." She could not mistake the voice, her heart leapt and a smile she could not hide spread across her face as she turned around to face Legolas. He was standing alone, wearing a silver and blue winter cloak that wrapped around his body and fell lightly to the snowy ground, the hem barely kissing the soft winter snow. They both stood transfixed, looking at each other, longing to take a step, but not wanting to be the first to do so.  
  
"Where were you?" Was all she thought to say. He motioned for her to come sit with him under the eaves and without hesitating she did so. They sat a little ways apart from one another, never removing their eyes from each other.  
  
"I was traveling. I wandered many desolate and many beautiful lands, my road determined only by the direction of my feet." He continued to stare at her, his eyes moving from hers and watching as her tresses caught in the winter breezes.  
  
"Were you searching for something?" She tentatively asked, trying not to appear interested in his long absence.  
  
"Yes, something that had eluded me. My paths took me even unto Lorien, where I met your fair Queen Galadriel. It was she who bid me leave to take her beautiful elanor flowers, for they grow only in her forest and I much desired to see your face wreathed in their delicate light." Candria blushed deeply and looked to the side of the trellis, noticing that the snow had begun to fall steadily on the ground.  
  
"I thought of you often Candria, and though I could not say it before, I feel I have the courage to say it now…I love you." It was in this moment that all of her fear and doubt rushed back into her heart, if only for a moment. She loved him too, with every fiber of her being, with every beat of her heart. But just as she was about to say so, the responsibility to her people stopped her. She suddenly wished she were not sitting so close to him, where she could smell the new earth and snow mixed with the crystal water of rushing rivers upon his skin. Candria stood up to leave, when she found that he had grasped her hand, his eyes full of surprise and confusion.  
  
"Do not leave Candria, for I could not bear to see you walk away, nor to hear you tell me to leave again. If I have spoken wrongly and have offended or been mistaken in my judgment please do not hold my intentions as brash or dishonorable. I have simply spoken the words of my heart, and though you do not love me in return, I beg that you will not let this ruin our friendship." She looked down at her wrist that he was still grasping and laughed.  
  
"Do not love you? How can my façade have fooled you? I have loved you more and more with each passing year, every day I spent without looking upon you was a day that I spent in sadness. I love you will all my heart; thoughts of you have filled it to brimming, and now to overflowing." He released her hand and stood up beside her. Each was looking into the other's eyes; their breathing had now become quickened. Legolas moved so close to Candria that their bodies brushed together, his breath kissing her skin as he reached down and picked up her hand.  
  
The lace glove was shining in the sunlight, Candria's fair skin glowing through. Legolas pulled at the fingertips of the glove, letting it slip slowly off her elbow, forearm, palm, fingers. The glove fell to the ground as he let it slide from his hand onto the milky snow. He touched his fingertips to hers; a feeling of lightening and passion flowed through their bodies at the joining of their skin. Legolas bent down and kissed the back of her hand, sending a shiver through Candria's body as she reached up with her other hand to touch his hair. He released her hand and she pulled off her other glove, letting it fall to the ground as well.  
  
Candria reached up to his face, tracing the lines of his cheeks, from his ears to his chin with the tips of her fingers. Legolas leaned forward, each moment passing as slowly as an eternity, and touched his lips to hers.  
  
Candria felt herself move her body against his, as she dared not part from the kiss. He tasted of sweet wines and honey, of the blossoms of flowers and the water from springs. She drank in all of his lips, daring to part only to breath for a moment, then pressing her lips to his again, releasing her desires and passions. He wrapped his arms about her, bringing his cloak to envelop them both, the warmth of their bodies blocking the winter wind.  
  
As they parted, Legolas smiled at Candria, her face glowing with radiant happiness, her cheeks now a rosy hue. He was blushing as well, his ruddy complexion reddened by the warmth of her embrace. No words needed be said, there was nothing that their eyes were not saying to each other as they walked side by side out of the garden. Legolas' cloak was still draped about Candria, and she could smell the light scent of the mellyrn trees that still hung about the fringes.  
  
Legolas touched her as though she was something rare and precious, as delicate as a glass figurine, and as beautiful as the blossom of a flower. He wrapped his arm about her shoulder, sheltering her from the winter wind and snow as they slowly made their way to the castle halls. Candria felt safe and warm, and she knew that in this moment, she was the most blessed of all elfin women to ever walk in Middle Earth. 


	10. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
As they entered the castle, they found it bustling with servants who were preparing for the feast of the first snowfall, which marked the significance of the day. The pair went by unnoticed in all the hustle and bustle, save by one. Thranduil watched from the shadows of the hall as the pair made their way toward Legolas' quarters, his brow knitted with concern.  
  
"Where are we going?" Candria asked as she realized she had never seen the halls that they were winding their way through. She emerged from the folds of his cloak and walked to his side, staring at the various tapestries and woodwork that lined the walls around her.  
  
"If it pleases you, I should very much like for you to see where I live, there is something there I wish to show you." At this she stopped, her mind suddenly taking over her heart. Although she knew his intentions to be honorable and that she could trust him completely, it was not proper for an elf-maiden to see the bedchambers of an elf-Lord. She paused nervously, and Legolas sensing the reason for her hesitancy, quickly assured her that if she did not wish to, he would by no means force her to go.  
  
"Thank you. I hope I have not insulted your trust." She suddenly felt ashamed, but his face broke into a smile that she could not understand.  
  
"You have not wounded me. All you say and do only make me love you more." He picked her up and spun her around, the long folds of her cloak billowing like sails in the wind. Legolas set her down and kissed her, wrapping her again with his arms and his love.  
  
"Come now, wait here and I shall bring it to you." She nodded and he sprinted off, his light elfin feet hardly touching the floor. Candria smiled to herself, touching her lips still warm with his kiss. Her eyes wandered the length of the corridor, unable to see where Legolas had gone, yet suddenly attracted by a tall statue, standing a little way down the hall. It was a woman, the most fair that she had ever seen. She was tall and graceful, her eyes were kind and gentle, and seemed to be looking directly at Candria. Her smile was soft, complemented by the cascade of flowing tresses that fell down her back and beautifully framed her face.  
  
"Do you recognize her?" Candria had not known that Legolas had returned. She shook her head and then suddenly, she knew.  
  
"Luthien. My mother." Candria whispered the words, unable to remove her eyes from the statue. She reached out to touch the sculpture, her hand met not by the coolness of stone, but by warmth that she knew was not her own. She smiled at her mother, and looked down at her necklace, the stone now glowing more brightly than she had ever seen. Candria turned again to face Legolas, her eyes alight with excitement.  
  
"What have you brought me?" She queried, hardly able to contain her giddiness, a sensation that she had never known, but made no effort to control. He smiled and held out before him a small silver crown, decorated only with a single icy blue jewel in the shape of a teardrop. Candria gasped at his beauty, so simplistic and yet so unbelievably enthralling. The single silver band was thin, shining, and untarnished by age; yet the design was ancient.  
  
"It belonged to my mother. She wore it when she and father still lived in Belirand under the rule of Elu Thingol. At the sundering of that blessed realm and the breaking of the power of Morgoth she could no longer bear the struggle and so left for the Gray Havens. Father gave this to me to give to the woman…I meant to marry…" Candria suddenly met his eyes and realized what he was asking of her. She ran through every reason why she should refuse, and then she realized that the heart had reason which reason did not know.  
  
"Gladly will I accept, with my whole heart could I sing of my love for you. That it has given me happiness that I had dared never hope for." Legolas took the band of silver and placed it atop her head, the teardrop falling down her forehead and glowing next to the luster of her skin. Legolas kissed the teardrop and then brought his lips down to hers, just as she reached up to meet his kiss, a low murmur of voices coming around the corner of the hall was heard. They quickly ducked into a darkened cul-de- sac and listened to the passers by.  
  
"The feast must have started, let us tell my father the news, it shall please him immensely." Legolas whispered to Candria as they watched three ladies in light billowing dresses pass by their hiding place on their way to exploring the many halls of the castle. Candria and Legolas emerged and made their way towards the main ballroom chamber. As they walked, they spoke of many things that they had thought of while in the absence of the other. Candria spoke of being married, and all that they would do together; Legolas spoke of children, causing Candria to blush.  
  
"And what shall you name our daughter?" Candria asked, her own happiness at the thought of having Legolas' child grinning through her speech. He looked down at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.  
  
"I shall name our son after Limlias, a good friend." Legolas' face was no longer full of grief for his friend, but happiness that his name would live on through a life he would create. Candria seemed happy as well, ignoring his offhanded remark that their first child would be a son. Knowing that the love they had found was rare and beautiful, a sensation they would never know again with such intensity, completed their happiness. 


	11. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
Thranduil had been waiting for them, for he knew he was not mistaken in his son's intentions to ask for Candria's hand in marriage. This troubled his mind, and he wished to speak with Legolas about his worries before he agreed to their request. Legolas eyed his father curiously, but Candria simply curtsied and walked out of Thranduil's hall.  
  
"Why are you being so rude father? She thinks you to be displeased with her now." Legolas felt indignant at Thranduil's dismissal of Candria just as they had been ready to ask for his blessing.  
  
"My actions are justified, for there is something of great importance that I must ask you before I allow you to wed Candria." Here Thranduil paused, and allowed his son to take hold of the gravity of the situation. "Candria has a gift, but that gift has come with a price that she does not yet know. Every time she heals someone using her life force, it pulls away years from her own life. She had already become weaker, and less able to handle the stresses placed upon her. I do not mean to say that your marriage would harm her…but if you intend to have a child, the risk that it would kill Candria is very great indeed. I tell you this only to be sure you understand; I wish you to know the full weight of your responsibilities and actions." Legolas sat down, his legs unable to support him as he stared ahead, his clear eyes now glazed over and confused. Thranduil could find no way to comfort him, and so let him resolve his inner conflict without any other words spoken to him. For the first time Legolas felt his heart break, the idea of marrying Candria now a painful wish he could never attain. He could not live with her and never know the touch of her skin, never feel her warm, resting in his arms as they awoke in the morning sunlight.  
  
When he emerged, Candria looked up at him in concern, he seemed to look older and more saddened. Legolas looked down into her bewildered eyes and did not have the heart to tell her what he had been told.  
  
"Do not ask me to tell you the words of my father, for they have wounded me to the heart and I hardly feel able to stand." He shook violently, and for a moment, Candria thought he would fall over into her arms.  
  
"Why carry your knowledge alone? I am here for you to share the burden, do not let your heart break from weariness. Tell me what troubles you Legolas." Try as she might, Candria could not tear from him what grieved him so. She felt it must have something to do with her, for every time he looked into her eyes, or gazed upon the teardrop resting on her forehead, his eyes would brim with tears.  
  
They parted that night, without another words spoken of their union. Candria could not understand Legolas' unhappy state, and it poured sadness into her heart as well. That he would not tell her his worries only coupled her grief, and as she cried bitterly all through the night, she wondered at what she had said or done wrongly.  
  
She awoke the next day to the bright sun of mid-day glaring off of the brilliant white snow. Her room was filled with coldness, as she had not lit a fire nor cared to close her windows the night before.  
  
She dressed mechanically and threw her cloak around her shoulders, the smell of Legolas still hanging upon it. Candria looked on her bedside table, Legolas' small silver crown resting upon a fold of cloth. She did not have the heart to look at it or wear it, and so wrapped it in the cloth and bid her maiden take it to Lord Legolas.  
  
Candria walked out into the hall to find it unusually busy, there were elves walking everywhere, anxiously looking about and speaking in low whispers.  
  
Through the crowd Candria spotted Halafin, carrying an armful of bows towards the main hall. She ran up to him and begged to know what had happened to bring about the sudden rush of activity in the castle.  
  
"War is coming my Lady. Thorin Oakenshield of the dwarves has insulted King Thranduil and our armies march upon Erebor to aid the armies of the men of Esgaroth. The King is demanding compensation from Thorin which he has been loath to return, and now we leave to fight him" Candria felt her heart heave with sudden fear, was Legolas amongst those who had left to fight? She reached out and grasped Halafin's wrist, panic coursing through her entire being.  
  
"Legolas? Was he among those who left?" Halafin suddenly realized the urgency behind her eyes; she was in love with the son of the king. He pitied her, she now seemed weakened and much smaller, the fear of Legolas' departure eating away at her heart's strength. Halafin hardly had the heart to affirm her darkest fear, his eyes shifted to the ground and Candria knew. She released his wrist, as though all strength had left her body. She slowly made her way back into her room and locked herself inside, refusing all visitors and barring all the windows shut, silence and candlelight her only companions.  
  
Candria had thought of leaving the city and trying to find Legolas, but she dared not betray the trust and faith of Thranduil. Although her heart ached at the thought of Legolas dying or being wounded beyond the reach of her aid, she dared not let her emotions cloud her responsibilities again, she had been shown the folly of her ways.  
  
As the weeks crawled by, she ventured outside in search of news, for none of the armies had returned, but more and more soldiers were leaving. She had not thought the dwarfish armies to be such a threat, and a shadow of fear had crept into her heart.  
  
She stopped a young servant as he made his way towards the great hall, and inquired as to the situation of the elfish armies.  
  
"My Lady, there is news that an army of orcs and wargs, hideous wolves of unnatural size that we were until now unawares of, descended from the mountains just as we were about to attack Thorin Oakenshield. The elfin and men forces joined with the dwarves, they are fighting together as we speak, although many of the enemy have fallen, we have lost too many to count as well." He quickly went about his business and left Candria standing alone. 


	12. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
It was five weeks before the first of the wounded began to arrive. Candria set to work, healing all those that she could and at the same time inquiring as to the whereabouts of Legolas. None could remember seeing him after the first wave of attackers, for he had been at the front of the line. The elves had remained together while the half-witted men had separated, splitting the orc forces between the two armies. There had been too many of the warg beasts about for anyone to remember what had become of the son of the king.  
  
There was great rejoicing when the heralds brought the news that the armies of the enemy had been driven back into the mountains, their numbers considerably less. Candria felt a ray of hope at the news; all of the elves would be returning home, Legolas among them. She did not let herself think he might be dead, for the grief would have crushed her, she only believed in the faith of her heart, that he was still alive.  
  
The warriors returned, their wounds innumerable and their hands filled with the treasure of Thorin's hoard. He had fallen during the battle, and his much wiser cousin, Dain Ironfoot, had compensated the elves for their losses, and bid them live in peace with one another. Although for many days hosts of elves poured in through the city gates, Legolas was never among them. After a while, the groups became thinner, and arrived more sparsely, until they stopped coming at all. All who had not arrived were considered to have been lost, and were thus mourned accordingly.  
  
Candria did not take place in the mourning, for she felt in her heart that Legolas was still alive, and though she pleaded passionately with Thranduil, he would not let her search for him. Small bands of elves were sent into the forests to try and locate the lost elf-prince, but all returned downcast, unable to find any trace of him.  
  
Candria sat alone from minuial until aduial upon the high walls of the city, watching far ahead down the road, ever hopeful that she would see Legolas coming home to her. And so she kept her lonely vigil, pitied by all as the months drew on into years. It was only by believing that he was alive, that Candria was able to survive the long and lonely years that passed by as unnoticed as the days.  
  
So it chanced, that upon midsummer's day, Candria saw a rider approaching in the distance. She had been used to having her hopes raised to find only a messenger bringing news to the king and so she paid little mind to the figure as it wound its way towards the city gates. It was when she looked closely at the elf did she realize who it was. She was hardly able to contain her ecstasy as she called up to the guard to send out the call; the prince of Greenwood had come home.  
  
With light-footed leaping she ran out of the city gates and towards where Legolas was riding atop a crude carthorse of some kind. As she came nearer, she noticed that he seemed weary or unconscious, his head lobbing from side to side as though he were asleep upon the rouncy. Sudden fear gripped her heart as she ran up beside him; his fair face bruised and cut, a mass of purple whelps across his chest as he rode with only a small thin tunic wrapped about his waist.  
  
"Legolas!" Candria cried out and just as she reached out to touch him, he fell sideways on top of her, unconscious and dying. She fell to the ground, the wind momentarily knocked out of her. Candria rolled the limp body of Legolas off from on top of her, and quickly spun around to lean over him. His body was as still as a statue, and as cold and clammy as one who is already dead. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the cuts from whips across his chest and shoulders.  
  
Candria drew in a deep breath and pressed the open palm of her hand against his heart, willing with every fiber of her being that he should live. There was so much pain, too many cuts, too many wounds; her hand began to burn as though she had set it in a pool of fire. She felt hot tears streaming down her face and neck as her hand, fused to his chest, began to shake violently as all of her life poured into his body. The seconds ticked by, each one weakening her more and more. Suddenly, she felt warmth upon his skin where her fingertips were touching. It grew as she pressed her hand down harder, the heat rippling across his chest and neck into his face and replacing its chalky pallor with a slight sign of life. It was at that moment that Candria had a sensation she had never felt before; it was as though her own life was quickly leaving her body. She suddenly realized with horrible gravity what her gift was doing to her own life.  
  
Candria felt as though she was being pulled into darkness, life leaving the marrow of her bones and being pushed into Legolas. Although she was frightened, the thought of her own death did not seem so terrible, that she should die saving the one she loved was worthy of a thousand lifetimes of loneliness. As the blackness consumed her, she stared intently at Legolas' closed eyes, the thick darkness eventually blocking them out all together- and she fell into the world of shadows. 


	13. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
So it was when Thranduil ran up to them, Candria laying lifelessly across Legolas' body in the middle of the road, her hand resting upon his heart. He gently picked her up and bid Halafin take her quickly to the castle. As for Legolas, the King himself bore his nearly dead son into the city, praying that the magic of Candria had somehow spared his son as well as herself.  
  
Legolas awoke a mere four days later, hardly able to recall entering Greenwood or making his way back home. It was learned that in their retreat, the army of orcs had found him still alive, though wounded, and had brought him back into their mountain lairs, torturing him daily. Hardly was there a patch of skin upon his body that had not been cut or bruised. It had only been by his remaining wits, and a drunken prison guard, that he had been able to escape, stealing a rouncy and heading back towards his city.  
  
"The only thing that kept me alive," he told his father once he had recovered strength enough to receive visitors, "was the thought of her. I was a fool not to have married her that very night I spoke with you. I mean to tell her now that I wish to marry her, to see her smile, and to hear her laugh for the rest of my days. Where is she now? Can she come hear this foolishness, for she has me speaking like a minstrel or poet!" His smile quickly faded at the look upon his father's face. With horrible solemnity he realized the cause for sadness behind Thranduil's eyes.  
  
"Is she…?" He could hardly choke out the words, his throat tightening with every gasp of air he took. Thranduil stood at the window, staring outward into the sun lit courtyard.  
  
"No Legolas, but she is terribly weak. She used all of her strength to save you. She will not live much longer; her life has already begun to slip away from our aid." Legolas shut his eyes in grief, tears searing their bright orbs. He knew he had to see her, and with a defiant thrust he threw the blankets of his bed off his body, the sight of his scarred legs only serving to harden his will to stand up.  
  
"Legolas, lay down, you are far too weak to stand, much less walk. If you try you may loose the use of your legs altogether." Thranduil turned and put his hand upon Legolas' shoulder. Legolas shoved his arm away, pure ironclad determination glowing in his eyes. As soon as he put pressure down upon his legs, he cried out in pain and fell backwards onto the bed.  
  
"Father please, help me. I have to see her, I have to see her…" his words were choked with the tears of conviction and grief, as he gripped the post of the bed to attempt standing again. Thranduil looked down at his prostrate son, his clear blue eyes paralyzed with agony. He saw Legolas struggling to stand, knowing that he was risking never walking again for the chance to see Candria one last time.  
  
"Come, I shall take you to her." With that, Thranduil, King of Greenwood, picked up his son and carried him to the chamber where Candria lay.  
  
Arien seemed to hide her face, for even though the windows were all open and the curtains drawn back, no light touched the floor of the room. It was here, on a large wooden framed bed, that Candria, Lady of Lorien had been laid. Her figure seemed smaller and more fragile, and as Thranduil set Legolas down in the chair next to her bed, he noticed that the time was drawing near for her to depart from the world. Thranduil left in respect for his son, knowing that Legolas wished to see her alone.  
  
As for Legolas, his sadness consumed him. Candria's shallow breathing and her pale countenance filled him with sorrow and pain. He reached out and picked up her hand, the warmth now gone, replaced by the coldness of death. She stirred at his touch, and after a moment, her eyes fluttered open and looked over at him.  
  
"Legolas…" the word was hardly a whisper, and faded on the air as she smiled faintly.  
  
"Why…? What…?" Legolas could form no words, his confusion at the absurdity that she must die to have saved his own life preyed upon his mind. She remained smiling, the rosy color in her cheeks now gone, but the small flame of blue still burning behind her eyes.  
  
"Why did you leave me?" The question was not in anger, she needed her final doubts absolved, the kind of comfort which only his explanation could provide. He looked down at her hand, where her delicate fingertips lay shaking slightly with cold and he himself began to feel the same coldness press into his own hand.  
  
"Father told me, on the night that I asked for your hand, that…" as he was about to say the words, he realized how selfish and pithy they sounded. He looked up into her eyes, their blue irises beginning to fade in the waning sunlight.  
  
"The reasons were selfish and foolish. I have been punished for my decision, unjustly so, that I am tortured to see you in such a state." He could bear it no longer, and with the grief of a child, without the dignity of a man, he leaned forward until his face pressed the back of her hand, and wept. He felt a slight pressure on his palm as she squeezed it softly, the only comfort she could offer.  
  
"Forgive me Candria, for I was a fool." He spoke through his tears. "I could not face this world without your touch, and my selfishness has given me bitter respite; that now I should face this world alone." Legolas looked into her clear blue eyes, she shook her head slightly, and spoke in a barely audible whisper:  
  
"Do not blame yourself. Let me die knowing that you will not grieve for things that have past and make no difference now. Let me die now, looking into your eyes, for there can I see all of my happiness, and all of our children. I do not regret giving you my life, for I know that I shall live forever inside of you." She shut her eyes, and Legolas picked himself up off the chair and lay down next to her in the bed. He wrapped his arm around her, tracing the lines of her face in his mind, wanting to remember every graceful curve exactly as she had been.  
  
Candria could feel his body next to hers, although she could not feel the warmth or his touch. She could see the light growing dimmer in front of her eyes, her own time waning into eternity. With all the strength she had left, she picked up her hand and touched Legolas' heart, the rapid beating slowing as she gave him peace and comfort. She realized her time was come, and with a quiet whisper, she spoke to Legolas for the last time.  
  
"Legolas…promise me…" she paused, her next words difficult as her own tears began to fall from her eyes, "promise me you will always carry my heart with you. I shall always be with you, even when this winter has passed into memory…I love you so much." He lifted his head over hers, staring into her eyes. As he curled a wisp of her hair that had fallen in front of her face around his finger, he replied:  
  
"I promise Candria. I love you too." He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, feeling her own lips rise up to his for a moment, and then fall back, motionless.  
  
So it was, that that winter passed into spring, the new life somehow less green and beautiful to Legolas, the flowers less lovely without her there. As each year moved endlessly on, the memory of Candria became less painful to him, but as each winter came, that same feeling of sadness would wash over him from time to time. He occupied his time with hunting and riding, pleasures that brought little joy, but took away his sorrowful thoughts for a while.  
  
It was often said that the prince of Mirkwood (for thus had Greenwood the Great been renamed) carried around a trinket of great value to him. It hung about his neck, concealed in the folds of his clothes and pressed next to his heart. He allowed no one to see it, or touch it, a precious item of which he spoke to no one.  
  
There hung Candria's necklace, the only item of hers that he had kept. The flame within the red orb, now the fire of Candria's heart, stayed constant throughout the rest of Legolas' life, reminding him of a love he had lost, and yet somehow not lost, a love that would live near his heart forever.  
  
The End 


End file.
